1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine for detecting vibrations of a receiving section to judge whether or not an article has been carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as this type of vending machine, there is known one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-348935.
When a customer purchases an article in the vending machine described in this laid-open application, he/she inserts a coin(s) and presses an article selection button. Consequently, a column of the article selected by the article selection button is selected, and an article carrying-out device set in the column is driven. As the article carrying-out device is driven, the selected article in the column is dropped to an article take-out opening and is carried out, and dropping vibrations of the article are generated at the article take-out opening. When a vibration sensor detects the dropping vibrations, the vending machine judges that carrying-out of the article has been completed, and a coin processing device performs a money receiving operation to lead the inserted coin(s) to a safe or the like. On the other hand, when vibrations are not detected, the vending machine returns the inserted coin(s) to the customer. Consequently, an inconvenience in that the inserted coin(s) is received in the safe or the like can be prevented.
In addition, as a vending machine of a type different from the one described in this laid-open application, there is a vending machine which stops driving of an article carrying-out device to shift to a sales standby state for the next sales article at a timing when a vibration sensor detects dropping vibrations of an article.
However, in the above-described two types of vending machines, it is likely malfunctions as described below occur if vibrations or impacts are applied to the vending machine from the outside when a customer purchases an article.
First, in the former vending machine, when unexpected vibrations are applied to the vending machine after the customer inserts a coin(s) and presses the article selection button, since the vibration sensor detects the vibrations, the inserted coin(s) is taken into the safe or the like before the carrying-out operation of the article is completed. In addition, in the latter vending machine, it is likely that the carrying-out operation of the article carrying-out device is stopped by the unexpected vibrations to cause a defect in carrying out the article.